For the record I hate my Polaris 380 system. The motor noise is a little better now that I have started running it full time regardless of the bearings. I will see if it gets any better over time. The motor is supposed to be sealed, if water gets in the bearings then Polaris makes a pretty cheap unit. I have seen the Hayward for $165, looks just like the Polaris.

Out of all my pool equipment the Polaris has been my only headache. The 380 is always breaking for some reason. the float failed once and the reverse unit has cracked twice in two years. The second time I gave up replacing it and used polyurethane glue on the outside (yes it worked). The reverse housing is so thin it seems it was made to crack. No I do not abuse the unit. If I could afford to replace it I would scrap this one ASAP.

It does clean the pool when its running a small consolation, lol.

GB